A Cracker of a Test
The last test match at ARG produced a draw. Little fun in draws usually at the ARG when you think of the boring ones we have had there. This one was different though. The match had two of three results possible, an Indian victory and a draw, which made it exciting till the last ball.
We saw Dave Mohammed take revenge for the bashing Dhoni gave him yesterday, adding to the legend of the guy with the cool name. Dave, or tadpole, as he is more popularly know by his cult following, kept making runs. That didn’t cause the torture though. The constant play and miss, topped by the stumping miss by Dhoni was the real sweet revenge.
In the end, the Indians fought back well. However, questions can be asked regarding the timing of taking the new ball. Dave Md. was not getting out but couldn’t taking the new ball have been delayed? Especially considering Sehwag was getting drift and looking good? Once the new ball bowlers weren’t causing an impact, I supported the decision of bringing back Kumble as he was some one who could take wickets.
However, doesn’t bringing back Kumble after taking the new ball show that your decision to take the new ball in the first place failed? Ideally, going a few more overs with the spinners as they were looking dangerous would have been apt with the seamers going in for the last plunge (last 5-6 overs) if the wickets didn’t fall till then. In the current scenario, could India have followed the given discourse though, given the inexperience of the seamers? Sreesanth didn’t look capable of handling the pressure in the last over. In such a situation, couldn’t a more experienced bowler make an impact?
On a different note, it was really unsporting of the crowd to boo the umpires off the field when the match ended. Simon Taufel was apparently booed for giving Ian Bradshaw out and Asaf Rauf for the Lara episode from yesterday. Really, if any one should be criticised, it is Brian Lara. A cracker of a test regardless. A test which also added to the agonising moments I have had as a fan watching India-West Indies tests in the Caribbean. First there was 1997 where we couldn’t chase 120. Then there was the 2002 series where we lost the advantage of being 1-0 up in the series. It is painful to watch test cricket as an Indian fan. It really is.
Tags: India West Indies, Indian Cricket, West Indies Cricket.
June 7th, 2006 at 6:00 am
Dravid is sure to face a lot of flak the grounds of his captaincy and the possible errors that he made. He could have brought on Sehwag instead of Sreesanth… he could have not taken the new ball… he could have declared a few minutes earlier
But then, captaincy is so much about intuition and trial-error. I would not be as critical of him as others may be because he at least did not fall prey to ‘taking decisions for which you will face least criticism if things dont work out’. He followed his instincts, though they betrayed him rudely. But that is something Sourav Ganguly used to do without fear, and that is what made him a good captain… glad to see that Dravid is not far behind… after all the same people would have lauded him as a genius captian with incredible vision, had Sreesanth and Munaf patel managed to get a couple more wickets with the new ball.
June 7th, 2006 at 6:14 am
[…] Pratyush at Sportolysis reports on “a cracker of a Test” between India and West Indies in spite of a draw. […]
June 7th, 2006 at 10:30 am
Had Kaif held onto that catch, Dravid would have been lauded as a fantastic captain for the brilliant call of backing young Sreesanth and giving him the ball at that crunch time, etc, etc.
Fine performance by the Windies, although they never really should have gone down to the wire. Rauf had a poor final day, nuking Chanderpaul and Bradshaw with two very average calls - another wicket, and there could have been a lot of backlash over those two decisions.
June 7th, 2006 at 10:32 am
As for Lara being criticised - I don’t see why.
The man’s quite brilliant. Thirteen minutes were lost in that little row that he created. That equates to at least three overs.
Sharp Machiavellian thinking by him there, and poor thinking from Dhoni/Dravid, who really should have accepted it immediately and aimed to get back onto the field ASAP.
June 7th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
Spot on Nirav. Dravid did help script a fightback for India. Shouldn’t he be applauded for that in a match which could have gone either way.. :)
Salil, I am not really criticising Dravid. I just felt the new ball shouldn’t have been taken at the stage as Sehwag was getting drify but those are just ifs and buts of the game. I am criticising the team selection though - I thought we were an experienced bowler short. On the umpires - decisions went against India too, some thing S. Rajesh mentioned in the cricinfo audio clip. What did hurt the Windies more were their bowlers missing.
On Lara - I think you are confusing issues here. Time wasting is a normal tactic which can be traced back many years. I don’t have qualms over it. However, Lara in the incident, snatched the ball from Rauf and did not respect the umpire on the field - the reason he should be criticised.
January 26th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Caterina LeFave
Caterina LeFave